Scent blockers or snake oil

[leechlake]

Every year I buy a gigantic bottle of one of the popular scent "blockers". I have a carbon suit. During bow hunting especially I shower, when I can, with scent free soap before hunting. Here's my question. Twenty years from now am I going to find out that all of these things are just snake oil products that are only purchased by us hunters because of good marketing or worse do they have their own scent?

Here at FM we do a good job of putting our heads together to answer questions, what do you know? I realize we all have a story about "one time..." where a deer didn't smell you. I'm looking for more, somewhere on this site is a great piece a guy did on carbon suits that proved to me that they probably don't work, problem is I've got one so I where it just in case. Any thoughts on these scent "eleminators."

[CrappieJohn]

Go back to the hunting forum, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on page 3, second post down on that page. It was posted by Hogeye and has some real eye-opening infomation about the charcoal suits that will probably make you want to return anything you already own! Stay clean, use scent elimination spray freely and enjoy the hunt. Too much is being made of the sport and how you have to do this and that to get a deer. Stay clean! Don't smoke! Don't eat garlic or onions for three days prior to a hunt! Don't hunt if you have had even one beer! And if you were sweating when you went out last, wash the clothes and air-dry outside before wearing in the field again!

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Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!
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[Boar]

Tonight the wind was right for my stand, I shower with anti bacterial soap, had my hunting cloths stored in a rubbermaid container with wood chips and dirt from a stump removal in my yard, I dressed where I parked the car, Brrr.. I really doused my boots with a acorn cover scent, wore boot pads saturated with doe [PoorWordUsage] walked to stand placed scent balls all around the perimeter of my tree. 20 mnts later a spice came down wind of me milled around was crossing the rive then 2 does and 2 fawns came from the upwind side and brought that spike back. and he proceeded to chase the doesall around me and down wind of me also he finally chased the does back where they came from the two fawns milled around my tree with in ten yardschecking scent balls and such, looking up at me from time to time, finnally the spike came chasing the does back again from the east and then around and back east the fawns followed just the a big boy came out on the other side of the river stood there and watched the does head back east chased by the spike and slowly followed. I think he was getting ready to cross towards me untill the spike chased the does back where they came from. Never saw the again. I guess I'd rather pay attention to my scent with proper scent control and have the wind in my favor than buy those expensive suits they say dont work anyway, I also read that bit on those suits, that and tonights experience told me ya dont need them. Later Boar

[BuckslayerBob]

I guess if I can't have fun and eat what I want and drink a beer or have a dip when I'm at deer camp, I'm not sure I'd go. I'd rather take my chances at the deer smelling me and have some fun and live a little bit. Too many people that have never bothered with scent control have shot nice deer. They didn't have scent control back in the good ole days either. I know it probably improves your chances, but it doesn't guarantee you anything. I've shot too many deer to suddenly start worrying about the little things like what I ate or drank and how my breath may smell. Or worry about wearing the long johns I wore the day before. I do the bare minimum scent control like use the scent killer spray and put out buck lure and wash my hunting gear in scent free detergent. I sure as heck am not going to not drink beer, not eat garlic, and not have a chew.

[leechlake]

Well put, sometimes I think we (or me) get so hyped up we forget, thanks.

[doubleUcubed]

A buddy of mine has been video taping deer in his yard the last few weeks. Usually about 5-8 does, 2-6pts, 2-8pts, 1-10pt. Well a buddy came by Sat. and put some doe scent around the scrapes without asking me friend first! (Thought he'd bring the bucks in quicker) That night, one doe and 2 little one's, the next 10 hours of tape no deer!! He took the garden hose to the area's and washed the doe scent down as much as possible and now the little bucks have been back along with the doe's. Just his observation over the past weekend! Good Luck and be Safe!!

[fishnutbob]

I think you do the things that give you confidence,if its scent block doe lure or whatever, its all part of the hunt,and its all fun, just enjoy it. If the rut is on youll get him, good example one in our party shot a big 10 pointer, he walked in the woods sat by a rock pulled out a cigarette opened a can of pop, then he takes a [PoorWordUsage], five minutes later he got his trophy. This is for you Bob Webb hope you are watching from deer heaven, see you at deer camp.

[Ruttin' Buck]

I think this is a very worthy thread. I am very conscious of my scents. Both my own and what I put out. Do I refrain from beer, onion and garlic...h#ll no. However,do I breath out of my nose while in the stand..absolutely. There are several things a person can do and still enjoy the hunt while improving your chances of bagging a trophy.

Buckslayerbob is right that many people have shot nice deer without buying into the scent control thing. However, how many of these deer were pushed? How many of the deer were 50 yards away...100 yards away? Etc. etc. I believe in consistency. I have found and setup on many a big buck sign areas and sucessfully and CONSISTENTLY taken the bucks that made the sign....no flukes...

Do I have a carbon suit...nope. I wash my clothes in baking powder and hang them out for 2 weeks. I store them in a tote with natural vegetation. I do not use scent killers, because moisture is your enemy when in the cold. I suppose they could be used prior to and allowed to dry, but scent killers are man made...the air outside is not.

Finally, doe scent. I use a ton of it. I drag it in and have 14 canisters I put out. I have exposed and capitalized on several big bucks doing so. Do I put it on buck scrapes....no way! It would seem the logical thing to do but when I first started really bow hunting I had a great test area. The area had over 100 rubs and 23 scrapes following a half mile stretch along a river. I used the scrapes I didn't plan on hunting near to run a few tests. First test (with obvious results) I continued to walk on a particular scrape when I walked to my stand....abandoned...like I said, obvious. Second test, a few drops of doe in heat on a different scrape....abandoned! I don't have an answer to this one. I do know I shot a nice 8 point a week later with my bow at 23 yards that only came up from the rivers edge after smelling the doe scent I had out. How do I know? Well, when he caught wind of the scent he began kicking up chunks of sod, sticks, and dirt followed by the thrashing of the nearest ash tree. Once he settled down, he headed into the wind and I found my target.

Without thinking hard, I know of 3 definite 8 pointers I've taken because of scent and a sixer I passed on only to get one of the 8's. Is it a fluke that I see and take so many big deer? The other 15-20 guys I hunt with used to think so when they showed up with their spikes and forks. After returning to camp 3 years in a row with an 8 pointer they started to think otherwise. I'm not hunting the deer zoo they call Wisconsin, I hunt state land, northern MN and it is not common for our group to take more than 2 or so 8 pointers a year...but I usually get one of them.

Absolutely have fun and enjoy yourself deer hunting. However, I do believe my words have some validity and are worth the effort.

To the hunt!!!

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"Aim small...miss small"

[Deerslayer]

Here's what happened to my son and I this weekend. I grunted in a nice 10 pointer to our tree, we had two scraps under our tree. I just bought some doe pee and I put it on one of the scraps. The buck came in and hit the rub without pee and worked it hard, he stood staight up and broke branches, his head was only 5 feet from my sons tree stand. He then went to the other scrap that had doe pee on it, he walked up and jumped back 5 to 10 yards, my son was at full draw and shot him. It's hes biggest buck with a bow but that deer did not like the doe pie I used.

[doubleUcubed]

Buck & Deer, kinda confirms what my friend thought of the stuff directly on the scapes too! Thanks for the reply's and observations!!

[Deerslayer]

My son's buddy took the pics with his dig cam and I have not got to see him or the pics. Hopefully in a few days, I will try to post it, never posted a pic on here.

[Ruttin' Buck]

I really wish I knew why that was. I've had such good luck with it hanging from a tree near a scrape and not just a little. I use 2-3 ounces (2-3 small bottles) to fill my 14 film canisters. I wonder if it is too concentrated to put directly on a scrape?

If there are any Wildlife Research folks that visit this page I'd be interested in knowing (and when I say folks I mean Leanor Campoamor...I'm scratchin at the ground myself just picturing her...ha!).

Hey Buckslayer...have any pics of the bruiser and your son?

[Ruttin' Buck]

I reviewed one of my tapes last night that has some information on this subject. It stated that at one time the scrape was thought to be strictly a communication tool between the sexes. Now, there are many biologists that consider the scrape to be this in addition, and maybe more predominantly, a marking to warn other bucks that the area is spoken for. If this is the case, I can understand the reason bucks are disturbed by doe scent applied directly to the scrape. If they create the scrape to deter other bucks and revisit the scrape to find another deers urine directly on the scrape, it could very well be disturbing to them.

I also thought a little bit about scrapes and the fact that oftentimes when I see doe sign (in snow) near a scrape it's just that. It's pee 5-10 yards away, not on the scrape. Still, I'm no expert. Have hunted scrapes with scent bombs in the area and will continue to, but I'd like to learn more from an expert on the matter.